This survey was done in July this year.

The graphics are usable and clear. Nice for showing your Board or questioning patrons!

http://blogs.overdrive.com/general/2015/09/30/overdrive-patron-survey/

BuzzFeed loves to do surveys and make lists.

This one reveals ideas so many people have about librarians, in 2015 no less, that I wonder if people who harbour these misconceptions are just trying to be, well, trying!

On April 15th, BuzzFeed asked: "What’s The Most Frustrating Misconception People Have About Librarians?" - by Arianna Rebolini.

This photo posted on Instagram by 'heartattackvine'  sums up the responses for me. 

Read on. Shatter any notions you may have or anyone you might meet who has weird and outdated ideas about librarians and what they do each day.

Here are the answers to the misconceptions. Read the whole article here.

1. Being a librarian is at times a very stress filled job.
2. Technology has not made libraries redundant.
3. Librarians do not spend their days reading (they WISH!!)
4. Librarians do not have 'a look' that defines them.
5. and the misconception of that 'look' has two diametrically opposed stereotypes.
6. Childrens' Story Hour is not play time.
7. Librarians work "in corporations, law firms, research institutes and laboratories, the government and military, special libraries (and) are researchers, computer specialists, collection developers, archivists, subject experts, meta data experts (you know, make everything findable off and online) and a lot more.” -AnnaBanana617
8. Librarians need to have an advanced degree (it's called a Masters of Library and Information Sciences).
9. It's not easy being a librarian. Click this photo to feel the stress: 
   
10. Librarians embrace technology. Always have. Librarians are always on the leading edge of technological innovation.
11. Librarians are not all women and come in all age groups, sizes, ethnicities and nationalities.
12. Librarians are not prudes (just attend a party at ALA!)
13. Librarians are anything but introverted loners.
14. Libraries as a community and national resource are not an 'endangered species' nor an idea whose time has passed.

To quote Ms. Rebolini... "Librarians are heroes and best friends to readers, of all ages, around the world." I second that.

click to enlarge

How is your library helping users do what they need to do on line?

Here is a Pew Research Center article - 10 facts about technology use in the emerging world - that sums up 10 of the notable data points about specific countries that popped up in a recent survey.

I was particularly brought face to face with my ignorance to learn that "about eight-in-ten Americans (80%) and Russians (78%) have a working computer in their household". We are not alone in our on-line world.

If we are not aware of where we in North America fit into this complex on-line conversation between people and their interests, can we really provide the necessary tools to our users so they keep up to their world neighbours with information that can lead them into the future?

click to enlarge

Related articles

American exceptionalism, in 3 charts

Web Technology & Education in the Classroom

Harnessing mobile health technologies to transform human health

Appendix A: Statistical Portrait of Library Users

This is a little late in coming to our blog but these stats are important to note.

Here's the link:Net Children and EU Kids Online joint report | Net Children Go Mobile

The text is directly quoted as follows:

Net Children Go Mobile and EU Kids Online launch a joint report comparing data from 2010 (the EU Kids Online survey) and 2013-4 (the Net Children Go Mobile survey).

 Main findings include:

• Internet use is increasingly privatised and mobile, with more children accessing the internet in the privacy of their bedroom and when out and about compared to 2010.
• Although children do more online in 2014, most do not climb far up the “ladder of opportunities”.
• SNS use has increased for boys and teens; 22% 9-10 year olds and 53% 11-12 year olds use Facebook.
• Fewer than half of children see themselves as “digital natives” compared with their parents. Digital self-confidence has decreased among the 9-10 year olds, only 10% of whom now believe they are more skilled than their parents.
• Children now report being better able to protect themselves online: more than half of 11-13 years olds (55%) say they can change their SNS privacy settings (it was 43% in 2010); among 14-16 year olds, it is now 79%.
• The comparison of findings from 2010 to 2014 shows only moderate increases in some risks, and no increase at all for others. Potentially negative forms of user-generated content (e.g. hate, pro-anorexic or self-harm content) are more common.
• The proportion of children who reported being bothered or upset online in the past year has increased from 13% to 17%; the biggest increases in recent years are among girls and teenagers.
• In some countries, the changes from 2010 to 2014 suggest children are experiencing more of both risks and opportunities – in Denmark, Italy and Romania (and, less, in Ireland); but in Belgium, Portugal and the UK, children are now benefiting from more online activities without an equivalent increase in risk.
• Two thirds of parents have suggested ways for their child to use the internet safely, according to children aged 9-16. Indeed, parents prefer far more to talk about internet safety than use parental controls in all countries and for all age groups; but the levels of parental mediation are not increasing despite parental concern and awareness-raising efforts.